MIKE WALDNER on USC FOOTBALL: Trojans' Marqise Lee has picked the right path in life

Not after setting a Pacific-12 Conference record by catching a remarkable 112 passes for 1,680 yards this season to earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and All-America recognition.

The acrobatic, 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver with the easy smile, outweighed by 100 or more pounds when on the field, obviously, clearly without question is the real deal.

In September, USC coach Lane Kiffin called Lee the "best-ever" Trojans receiver. In November, Kiffin said his guy was "arguably the best player in college football the last couple of weeks."

The hype was earned.

Lee's play was an extension of an outstanding freshman season, which was an extension of honors-loaded years at Serra High in football, basketball and track.

Small and insignificant came earlier.

It came when as a youngster Lee bounced around Inglewood like he now bounces off and around would-be tacklers, living with his mother, his grandmother, friends, in hotels and with foster parents in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services system. As if this was not enough, one older half-brother died in a gang-related shooting and another is in prison.

Lee's relaxed demeanor after a series of electrifying plays in one game prompted a reporter to suggest, "He doesn't realize he's a star."

That was a bad read. He knows. He knows his talent level is at the top of the scale. It's just that he does not have the deep inner need some athletes have to prance and primp. He'll let his play do his talking.

That and his experiences enable him to keep sports and life in balance.

Lee shrugs when asked about growing up in the foster care system.

How did he deal with it?

"A typical move-in, typical in foster care, you move to different places," he said.

He did not flinch or look down when he spoke. He answered the questions as if they were about his typical big plays in big games.

"I finally got to stay in a home where I lived with friends," he said. "Actually, it was with close friends, with one of my basketball travel team friends."

The teammate was Steven Hester, the son of Sheila Nero and Steve Hester.

"He went to Serra," Lee said of Hester. "I went to Serra (transferring from Morningside High). I stayed with him and that became permanent. That was really about it."

What it really was about was generosity on the part of the Hesters. It was about Lee being the sort of person they wanted to help. It was about being a well-mannered young man who rose above his environment.

He shrugged once again when, after a dazzling run on a reverse, a reporter went on and on about his performance.

"It was all the offense, great blocking," Lee said.

"You always say it's great blocking," the reporter protested. "Sometimes it's not great blocking. It's you moving around guys. Will you ever admit that to yourself?"

"I got some jukes here and there," Lee said. "But after the juke the blocking does come in, so I get some extra yards. It's the truth. You can watch the film."

He knows the truth on and off the field. He knows he is not alone on an island, in football or in life.

Demonstrating maturity beyond his 21 years, Lee turns this around concerning his sister, Stacy.

"Your main focus is not necessarily yourself," he said. "It's worrying about the person under you, which is my younger sister. I have to keep a positive mind and go down the right path in order for her to succeed and go down the right path."

While others ponder his status as a Heisman Trophy candidate next season, Lee has to at least be peeking around the corner at the NFL and paychecks that will come when he starts playing on Sunday.

"Right," he admitted.

This time he did not shrug off the subject.

"My main focus is to take advantage of my opportunities," he said. "I knew I was decent in football and I was decent in basketball. So whichever gave me the scholarship, I was going to run with it. I'm going to continue to run with it so I can make a better life for her as I move forward."

Why no Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, named the presumptive winner by Sports Illustrated magazine? I'll take some hits, especially since he made the final three with T'eo and Klein, but no Manziel because the Aggies dropped down a division to play South Carolina State and Sam Houston State.

R.I.P.: David Courtney, the public address announcer for the Kings, Angels and Clippers, who died tragically at the age of 56, was a good guy who will be missed by all who knew him.

Catching up with: Former Redondo High basketball stars coached by Jim Nielsen are employed around the world. Dijon Thompson is playing in Russia, Marcus Moore in Israel and Wendell White in Japan.

Bottom line: It is fair to assume president and part owner Stan Kasten, not general manager Ned Colletti, is making major baseball decisions for the Dodgers.